Tank.



Patented my l5, |902.

TANK.

E. N. HARMON.

(No Model.)

rEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDNVARD N. HARMON, OF BELVEDERE, CALIFORNIA.

TANK.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 704,539, dated July 15, 1902.

Application filed December 13| 1901. Serial No. 85,814. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD N. I-IAEMON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Belvedere, in the county of Marin and State of California,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tanks, of which the following is a speciiication.

lWIy invention relates to the construction of wooden tanks which are used as receptacles for the storage of liquids and which are provided with means for keeping the staves moist in order to swell the wood; and my object is to provide a more effective arrangement of water-passages in the staves than has heretofore been known, so that there shall be an actual circulation of water throughout all the staves in a continuous Water-passage.

My tank is especially, although not exclusively, intended for the storage of oil, and I provide a water-passage of the kind above referred to which has no communication with the inner Wall of the tank, so as to prevent any mixture of water with the contents, the water-passage being of such a character that the stave-joints are kept tight without such a communication being necessary, no matter what liquid is under storage.

Tanks having water-spaces in the staves have long been known. In some horizontal channels have been formed in and around the staves out of communication with one another or intersected by a single vertical groove. In others a single channel has been formed around and near the top, having outlets through which water overows upon and runs down the inner wall of the tank. In others the meeting edges of the staves have been vertically grooved and have communicated with a continuous channel in a single horizontal plane; but in no instance to my knowledge has a single continuous channel been formed which practically includes the whole tank and which causes and insures a complete circulation of water in the whole tank-wall and absolutely prevents shrinking or leakage in any part of the tank.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is an elevation of a tank, partly broken away to show one side in vertical crosssection. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through several associated staves. Fig. 3 is a perspective of a single stave.

The tank is composed of any number of wooden staves A A, each having the croze B to receive the bottom, and set up and hooped in any suitable manner. Any number of staves can be used to form the tank; but I prefer to use an even number, so that any two adjoining staves form a unit of the whole number. In each stave arid near one end is bored a hole or passage a, extending entirely through from edge to edge, the hole in one stave being made near the top and in the adjoining staves on a different plane, preferably near the bottom. The passages thus alternate in position in successive staves around the entire circumference. If an even number of staves be used, a true and complete alternation or" passages will be produced; but if an odd number be employed two staves will have registering holes, either at top or bottom. This makes no essential dierence in construction or operation; but I prefer the true alternation of passages above referred to. In each edge of each stave is formed a shallow vertical groove b, which may be a saw-scarf or produced by any other suitable grooving-tool, and these grooves intersect the passage a in each stave and extend from such passage to or slightly beyond the plane of the passage in the next stave, which they also intersect. When the tank is set up, I have a connected series of parallel vertical water-passages and of horizontal water-passages, which vtogether form one continuous passage and which includes all the staves. IVater' admitted at an inlet C at any convenient point, either at top or bottom, so as to communicate with the continuous passage, will pass down, up, and across through the vertical and alternating horizontal passages and will return to the starting-point, near which and preferably in the same stave as the inlet an outlet I) is provided, which also serves as the air-vent. No water reaches the inside wall ot' the tank, the passage being entirelywithinthestaves. Thisinsuresamore eiective water distribution than is practicable with previous conditions, nor can the passage be blocked at any point, since if astoppage occurs the water will simply back up and iiow through the continuous passage in the other direction. In tanks which have no continuous passage in the walls'water following a path of least resistance might possibly not reachportions of the tank to which it would have to rise and Where a single leak might be disastrous; but by having a continuous passage Water under any pressure or head is compelled to traverse every part of the tank, sometimes rising, sometimes fall-g ing, and sometimes level, but always exerting its moistening effect upon the Wood. I prefer to block the passage abetween the inlet and outlet pipes, so that the water entering shall not divide, but will go in one direction, and as such a plug d is placed at the middle of the stave, 4as shown, there is no danger of leaking from this cause. i

A special advantage follows the series, ar-

rangement of passages as distinguished from arrangements in which parallel passages, whether horizontal or vertical,are crossed and intersected at right angles byasingle passage. Ifl a continuous series of passages be used, an obstruction at any point in the series would be evidenced by the total or partial failure of water to arrive at the terminal point or outlet, Whereas when crossed or intersected passages are employed an obstruction at any point would leave part of the tank Without water, and there would be no evidence of that fact until a leak appeared.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A tank composed of staves, each having r`longitudinal edge grooves,and an intersecting passage connecting said grooves; said intersecting passages in adjoining staves being in different planes, and all the passages and grooves forming in series, a single continuous Waterway.

2. A tank composed of staves having vertical grooves in their edges, and communieating horizontal passages, arranged alternately near the top and the bottom of adjacent staves.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature, in presence of two Witnesses, this 3d day of December, 1901.

EDWARD N. HARMON.

Witnesses:

S. W. SEELY, F. M. BURT. 

